*CSOs flag 13 high-risk LGAs, appeal for police neutrality *Kudos, knocks trail Tinubu’s directive to unfreeze state’s account *Police assure Nigerians of peaceful, credible governorship election Adedayo Akinwale, Sunday Aborisade and Linus Aleke in Abuja and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday expressed concern over the growing threat of vote buying, warning that the practice could undermine the credibility of the poll if not decisively checked by security agencies. This comes as Civil Society Concerns on Election Security in Osun urged the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to remain neutral and professional during the state governorship election.Also yesterday, reactions continued to trail President Bola Tinubu’s Thursday’s directive ordering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court and vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s bank accounts, with political parties, civil society organisations and security agencies expressing divergent views over the development. While the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Osun State and the opposition Accord Party commended the President’s intervention as a demonstration of respect for democracy and the rule of law, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) warned that the directive could undermine the operational independence of anti-corruption institutions.The House of Representatives Minority Caucus said the directive issued by the President to the EFCC was due to massive public outcry and not by respect for the rule of law. Also, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, yesterday assured Nigerians that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to ensure a peaceful, free, fair and credible governorship election.Speaking on INEC’s level of preparedness, a senior official of the Commission who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the election, said while the electoral body was fully prepared for the exercise, vote buying remained one of its biggest concerns given the heightened political atmosphere in the state. The official disclosed that the commission had completed virtually all critical preparations for the election, including the deployment of election materials, training of personnel and testing of its electoral technology.“As far as INEC is concerned, I can confidently say we are over 90 per cent prepared for the election,” the official said.He revealed that INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, recently led a comprehensive readiness assessment in the state, which involved six National Commissioners, directors, senior officials and technical staff. According to him, the exercise, which lasted about five days, involved a thorough review of every aspect of the commission’s preparations, including a mock accreditation exercise to test the effectiveness of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).The official, however, stressed that INEC alone could not guarantee a credible election, saying the success of the poll would depend on the conduct of security agencies, political parties and their supporters. He described the political environment in Osun as “quite tense,” urging all stakeholders to exercise restraint and uphold the rules of engagement.“Our biggest concern is vote buying, which we fear could be widespread. We want the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to remain professional, impartial and above board in enforcing the law. “Vote buying is prohibited under the Electoral Act. It is a criminal offence and one of the greatest threats to the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process. Anyone arrested for the offence should face the full weight of the law,” the official added.Meanwhile, the Civil Society Concerns on Election Security in Osun has urged the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to remain neutral and professional during the state governorship election. The group made the call yesterday, during a press conference at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.Executive Director Samson Itodo, who spoke on behalf of the group, warned that public confidence in the electoral process would depend largely on how security personnel conduct themselves before, during and after the poll. “This is the last major election to be held ahead of the 2027 general election. Therefore, it has a lot of significance, and it’s a unique opportunity to inspire public trust, not just in the management of the election, but election security.“The public would want to see institutions demonstrate neutrality so they can have confidence in those institutions,” Itodo stated. He warned that the level of pre-election violence and political tension recor
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